


It's Nothing Special

by extraordinary



Series: Unusual Arrangements [1]
Category: Free!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-26
Updated: 2014-07-26
Packaged: 2018-02-10 14:01:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,689
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2027724
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/extraordinary/pseuds/extraordinary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rin had saved up four ¥100 coins for this, and he wasn't afraid to use them. He was going to show that Gachapon machine exactly who's boss. </p><p>(For Tumblr user targetlost, who wanted shota!Rin buying Haru a dolphin plushie. Rin's wallet refused to cooperate, however. I'm sorry!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	It's Nothing Special

**Author's Note:**

> This is for tumblr user targetlost, who asked for shota!Rin buying Haru a dolphin plushie. It turned out a little differently, but I hope you'll enjoy it anyway!
> 
> This is set sometime not long before their Elementary School relay.
> 
> Incidentally, while this can definitely be read as a stand-alone drabble... it /also/ totally works as a prequel to one of my other fanfics ('Pre-Tournament Stress Relief Methods by Hazuki Nagisa'!) - it kind of gives that one a new twist, I guess? I can't seem to distance myself from that verse yet. x'D

It had looked just like all other capsule vending machines from a distance, of course, but Rin had been attracted by the bright red and blue waves surrounding the kanji on the promotional poster inserted just behind the clear plastic cover of the machine.

  
**AQUATIC LIFE KEY-CHAINS** , it said. Rin hadn't been able to resist taking a closer look. He'd peered curiously at the funny little drawings of various marine animals placed around the kanji and brand logo, proudly displaying the different types of products one could expect to win from this particular Gachapon machine. Rin traced his finger over each of the animals: there was a killer whale, a sealion, an otter, a penguin, a sperm whale, a great white shark... _and a dolphin_.

  
It was perfect!

  
He'd inserted his only ¥100 coin and turned the crank so fast that an innocent girl wearing a sailor seifuku, who happened to be parking her bicycle nearby, had thrown him a startled look. Rin ignored her in favour of quickly removing the plastic capsule from the receptacle.

  
He'd won.. a sperm whale.

  
_Seriously_? A sperm whale?! That one had been his least favourite out of all the options!

  
Sighing in defeat, Rin pocketed the toy and turned his back on the row of vending machines.

  
Time to go home and come up with a fool-proof battle strategy.

 

 

* * *

 

  
  
"Listen up," Rin muttered, raising his chin defiantly and glaring at the machine in front of him. "You'd better cooperate this time!"

  
Rin had saved up four ¥100 coins for this, and he wasn't afraid to use them! He was going to show that Gachapon machine exactly who's boss.

  
He quickly inserted the first coin, wiped his sweaty hand on his trousers and reached for the crank. Holding his breath despite of all of his bravado, Rin sharply turned the handle.

  
"Please be a dolphin," Rin whispered to himself as he reached out to fetch the capsule from the machine. "I _need_ a dolphin."

  
But once again, the toy inside turned out to be a sperm whale.

  
Great. _Just great_.

  
Rin only just managed to resist the urge to stomp his foot. This whole thing wasn't going as planned at all. Why wouldn't the stupid Gachapon machine cooperate with him?!

  
Well, whatever. He still had three coins left.  There was no way Rin was leaving without winning that dolphin today!

  
Running his hands through his hair in frustration he wasn't surprised to find it still damp to the touch. He'd run here after swim practice in such a hurry that he hadn't taken the time to dry it properly, after all.

  
"Fine, be that way." Rin gave the machine his best intimidating stare while inserting his second ¥100 coin. This time it was definitely going to be a dolphin.

  
Except it wasn't.

  
It was _another_ sperm whale.

  
"AAAAARGH!" Rin whined loudly, pretending not to notice the amused looks the cashier inside the convenience store that owned the vending machines was throwing him through the window. "Why would I need _three_ of these stupid whales? Give me a dolphin already!"

  
Now he only had two more coins left, Rin was quickly losing his confidence. The odds of getting a dolphin were looking slimmer by the minute. Knowing his luck, the next one would probably be another sperm whale.

  
Closing his eyes, Rin inserted his third coin blindly and fumbled for the crank. He didn't open them again until he'd turned it completely.

  
Very slowly, he reached out to retrieve his prize.

  
"Oh," Rin's heart sank as he inspected the toy inside the brightly coloured plastic capsule. "A shark?"

  
Well, at least it wasn't another sperm whale.

  
But now everything depended on his very last ¥100 coin... Rin held up it high above his head to inspect it. Squeezing one eye shut in order to see the markings on the back more clearly, he admired the tiny cherry blossom design.

  
He'd always been fond of these flowers. Sousuke had loved teasing him about it, often reminding Rin that getting excited over pink heart-shaped flower petals was for girls; but he'd come along when Rin had invited him on his trip with Gou to the nearby park for the picnic under the cherry blossoms Rin had promised her. Sousuke hadn't breathed a word about how hilariously girly the entire thing was. In fact, Rin had even caught him staring up at the trees overhead with the hint of a smile on his lips.

  
He closed his eyes, imagining what it would be like to swim in a pool full of cherry blossom petals. The thought was bittersweet, however. Deep down he knew the trees here in Iwatobi wouldn't bloom until long after he'd already left Japan.

  
Shaking his head a little in order to dispel those negative thoughts, Rin once again focused on the coin between his fingers. He turned it over a couple of times, admiring the way it reflected the light, before letting it drop to the palm of his hand.

  
"This it is," He told his fist. "You're my last chance!"

  
Still clutching the coin tightly in the palm of his hand, Rin took a steadying breath. Then he brought his fist down to his lips and, blushing right down to his very toes, pressed a quick kiss to his knuckles.

  
For good luck, you know.

 

 

* * *

 

  
  
"Hey, Haru!" Rin called out, hurrying to retrieve his cap and goggles from his bag before quickly slamming the door of his locker shut. "Wait up!"

  
"What do you want?"

  
Undeterred, Rin slung an arm around Haru's shoulders and steered him back into the changing area. "Come with me for a second."

  
"That's _not_ the way to the pool."

  
Luckily, Rin was already accustomed to dealing with this side of Nanase The-Water-Is-Alive Haruka.  He simply tugged Haru along a little more insistently, throwing a quick reassuring smile at a confused looking Makoto waiting for them further down the hall. Rin didn't release Haru from the firm grip he had on his shoulders until it became clear that Haru wasn't going to turn around and make a run for the water.

  
Rin _seriously_ wouldn't put it past him.

  
"I've got something for you," He told Haru quickly, embarrassingly stumbling over his words a little in his rush to get them out because it wouldn't do for that water-obsessed idiot to grow bored and decide this wasn't worth his time after all. "Hold on."

  
Haru peered at him with the usual unimpressed expression on his face, but Rin would've sworn he caught a curious sparkle in those ridiculously blue eyes of his.

  
"Here," Rin held up his cap in between them proudly. Haru simply blinked at him. Neither of them moved. "It's inside, silly. I wrapped it in there for safe-keeping."

  
"Oh," Haru leaned a little closer to peer down at the contents of Rin's bright yellow swim cap. Eventually he gave into his curiosity and reached a hand out to retrieve the round plastic capsule from its latex 'gift wrap'. "What's inside?"

  
"You'll find out!"

  
Rin grinned encouragingly at Haru, bouncing up and down on his feet and motioning  impatiently for him to open it.

  
"It's---"

  
"A dolphin key-chain!" Rin nodded enthusiastically. "I was trying to get a much cooler shark one, but this one came out instead so I figured I'd give it to you."

  
The way Haru was just wordlessly looking at the key-chain was starting to make him feel a little self-conscious. Why wasn't that idiot saying anything?!

  
"It's nothing special!" Rin babbled on nervously. "It just reminded me of you, that's all. You swim so smoothly, like a dolphin, you know? And it's blue, too! It matches your---!"

  
Rin abruptly stopped talking when he noticed Haru was suddenly leaning in a lot closer to him than usual. His goggles and swim cap slipped out of his hands and fell to the floor with a clatter as Rin felt the gentle press of Haru's lips against his cheek.

  
"Thank you, Rin."

  
The kiss had only lasted a second, but it was more than enough to paint Rin's cheeks the same colour as his hair. He could only gape at Haru in shock. Where the heck had that come from?!

  
Rin was never going to understand this boy.

  
_Never._

  
That thought excited rather than discouraged him, however.

  
Avoiding Haru's eyes and trying to gather what was left of his composure, Rin jerkily reached down to pick up his fallen swim cap and goggles. "You're such a weirdo, Haru."

  
"Says the one who just compared my eyes to a plastic dolphin."

  
"Shut up!" Rin grumbled, hoping the furious blush on his face would subside by the time they made it to the pool area. "You'd better not breathe a word of this to anyone, d'you hear me? This never happened!"

  
"About what?" Haru retorted, entirely unaffected, opening his own locker to place the key-chain into his bag. "Nothing happened."

  
" _Exactly!_ " Rin sighed in relief, still unable to meet Haru's eyes. He could feel that jerk smirking at him. "Nothing happened."

"Okay."

  
Had Haru finally finished rearranging the items in his locker? Rin reluctantly raised his gaze to check. To his big surprise, Haru was holding open the door to the hallway for him. Waiting for Rin to join him.

  
Nanase Haruka. Was waiting for Rin. When there was a perfectly good pool for him to swim in _right there_.

  
Rin wondered if he could somehow get away with subtly pinching himself. You know, just to make sure that he wasn't dreaming.

  
"Hey," Rin glared at an amused looking Haru as he passed through the doorway. "You better not think _this_ makes up for stealing my first kiss like that, Nanase."

  
"Huh?" Haru blinked at him, trailing after Rin in the direction of the pool. "But that was my first, too. I heard it doesn't count in that case."

  
" _Haa?!_ " Rin spluttered at him in response as they passed through the foot bath and obligatory showers. "What kind of logic is that?"

  
Then, without warning, he shoved Haru into the deep end of the pool.

  
That'd teach him.


End file.
